Did You Miss Me?

I know I haven't blogged in quite some time, but I had a lot going on.

I had to grieve for my Great Grandma. I had to grieve for my fertility a bit in silence. (This will be a life long grief, but it's a sweeter grief now that God has full control over my sorrow! AMEN!) I needed some peace and quiet from the blogging community, which I was allowing to be my only outlet for myself. I have a better control over myself and my emotional outlets. I cry less. I talk more. To my hubs. To a couple of ladies who have reached out to me. To my mom. To my sister, Hannah, who is the first to cry with me if I need her to. She doesn't always understand, being that we're nine years a part and she's just now about to enter into young adult hood, but she loves me, so she hurts when I hurt. (Hannah: You have a sweet heart. Don't lose it. You mean more to me than you'll ever know. Thank you for being you.)

We've moved exponentially in our foster to adopt licensing process! We took the MAPP class from September until October. We became CPR/First Aid certified for infants-adults in November. We had our first home visit and our second home visit/application filling out visit. We filled out our individual questionnaires and had our individual interviews based on our questionnaires. We have our twin bed, our twin bed bedding, our dresser, hangers for baby/toddler clothing (to prove we have closet space for each child,) and car seats. We even have strollers, a baby swing, a travel swing, tons of newborn-4T clothing for both girls and boys, a bouncer (very pink, but who cares?), an expedit bookcase, some cloth diapers, crib sheets, a crib quilt, etc.

We currently need:

• Crib (getting this tonight for an amazing deal on Craigslist!)
• Crib Mattress (getting this tonight with the crib!)
• Individual Physicals/TB Tests (Getting those around the middle of the month)
• Fire Extinguisher (Getting this hopefully early this month)
• Carbon Monoxide Detector (Getting this hopefully early this month)
• Fire Inspection 
• One More Home Inspection (To make sure we have beds/bedding)

The list may seem long for our needs, but honestly, they should all be done before the end of February, so hopefully we'll be fully licensed by the end of March! (Here's hoping anyway!) Keep praying for us!!!

Check out a future (soon) post for a preview of what the nursery looks like at this moment! (It's a work in progress! Ha!)

xo,

A

Currently Listening To: When The Tears Fall by The Swift

Currently Reading: Love You More: The Divine Surprise of Adopting My Daughter by Jennifer Grant

Currently Watching: Army Wives and Supernatural via Netflix

It Was Her Time

Great Grandma Sweetie passed away this morning.

My family is headed up to Illinois tomorrow morning.

Please be in prayer for the entire family for understanding, coping, and for safe travels.

PLEASE rejoice over her life with us and PRAISE God that such an AMAZING, WONDERFUL, LOVING, KIND, and AWESOME lady ever lived! 

If you never had the chance to meet her, you truly missed out...and no...I'm not being bias. It's just a true fact of life. Grandma Sweetie truly lived up to her nickname of "Sweetie." (Her given name is Juanita, but she hated that name.) 

Grandma Sweetie, we love and miss you already! I know I am a better person because I knew you. Thank you for all those years of swinging on the porch. Thanks for letting us swim in your pond. Thanks for all the RC Cola. Thanks for letting us sleep in the heart room with you when we visited at your old house. Thanks for always ALWAYS singing a song...especially Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which I love the best. Thanks for always being full of life, even when you were in pain, tired, or not feeling well. Thanks for ALWAYS giving me a reason to laugh. Thank you for the wisdom you've bestowed on me. Thanks for calling my husband Ryan. We crack up about that often...most recently as of last night. Thanks for always listening, always being patient, and most of all, always being an example of Christ. I love you infinity! 

xo,

A

R.I.P. Baby Tripp

Please pray for Courtney and her family. Tripp passed away earlier today. To read more about his short life and EB, please visit Courtney's blog.

My heart is super heavy and I am fighting back tears as I type this, but at the same time, I am overjoyed. Tripp is SORE free, has FULL sight, can walk...RUN, can talk, can breathe on his own, and is most of all PAIN FREE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE all because of the blood of Jesus Christ. I have no doubt I will one day get to meet Tripp and marvel at what an AWESOME God, we serve.

This baby has been made WHOLE through Christ!

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!